Mythes, op. 30 for violin and piano
by Karol Szymanowski

Written in 1915, Mythes is regarded as the beginning of Szymanowski’s impressionistic period in which the composer finds a balance between the contrasting styles of German Romaticism and French Impressionism.

La Fontaine D’Arethusa

The three movements of Mythes are based on stories from Greek mythology, beginning with the story of Arethusa and Alpheus. The river god Alpheus falls in love with a nymph, Arethusa, who ultimately has the goddess Diana transform her into a stream of water to escape Alpheus. Despite her transformation, Alpheus recognizes Arethusa and becomes a river so that he and Arethusa may combine. In this first movement, the violin and piano pass runs off to each other, thus creating the “flowing water” of Arethusa and Alpheus.

Narcisse

Parallel to the first movement, Narcisse has the violin & piano almost motionless at times, creating “still water.” This movement depicts Narcissus, a beautiful man who rejected all who desired him, including the goddess Echo. Following his rejection of Echo, the god Nemesis cursed Narcissus so that he fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water, eventually dying from self love and turning into a flower.

Dryades et Pan

The third and final movement, Dryades et Pan, opens with a murmuring forest full of Dryades (female tree nymphs) in the violin and piano. Szymanowski has the violin abruptly interrupt the Dryad motifs, announcing the arrival of Pan by directly evoking the sound of Pan’s flute with open harmonics. Pan appears and chases the Dryads, their melodies intermingling until finally the movement comes full circle and ends with the familiar sounds of the forest.

About Karol Szymanowski

Karol Szymanowski (1882-1937) was one of the most significant Polish composers of the 20th century. He is best known today for his orchestral works, which include the two violin concertos, his Third Symphony The Song of the Night, his opera King Roger, and his Sabat Mater. In 1905, Szymanowski became one of the four founding composers of the group Young Poland in Music. It was through this group that Szymanowski’s music was first performed in Poland and Germany. Until the outbreak of World War I he travelled widely around Europe, including an influential trip to southern Italy and Sicily in 1914. Exempt from conscription, he worked prolifically through the war, composing such works as his First Violin Concerto and Third Symphony. The Russian Revolution led to a hiatus in Szymanowski’s composition, but he returned to composition in 1921 with the song cycle Word Songs. By the mid-1920s, Szymanowski was increasingly recognized on the international stage. He was director of the Warsaw Conservatory from 1927-1929 and rector of the Music Institute in Warsaw from 1930-1932.

All images created by and used with permission by Sarah Wilson.